Wire twisting tool

ABSTRACT

An improved wire twisting tool for use in the assembly of fences.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the assembly of fences generally and more particularly to wire twisting in the assembly of fences.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following published patent documents are believed to represent the current state of the art:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,518; 5,339,869; 5,586,584; 5,947,166; 6,363,583; 6,679,480 and 6,695,293.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide an improved wire twisting tool for use in the assembly of fences.

There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a wire twisting tool including at least one housing element, a ratchet wheel including a toothed edge and a fence wire receiving slot, the ratchet wheel being seated within the at least one housing element, a wire engagement portion, fixed with respect to the ratchet wheel, for rotation together therewith, operative to slidably receive and engage a fence attachment wire and a lever which is pivotably mounted onto the at least one housing element and which is operative to engage the ratchet wheel and prevent movement thereof in a first rotational direction.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the at least one housing element also includes a handle portion. Preferably, the at least one housing element includes at least one retaining portion, wherein the ratchet wheel is seated within the at least one retaining portion.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the presents invention the at least one retaining portion also includes at least one generally circular protrusion, and the ratchet wheel includes at least one generally circular positioning protrusion, such that the generally circular positioning protrusion is seated within the at least one generally circular protrusion of the at least one retaining portion.

In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention the fence wire receiving slot extends to a fence wire receiving location which is generally at the center of the ratchet wheel.

In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention the lever includes a tooth engaging surface which is operative to engage the toothed edge of the ratchet wheel. Preferably, the tooth engaging surface is urged by a spring into engagement with the toothed edge of the ratchet wheel. Typically and preferably, the spring biases the lever.

In accordance with a still further preferred embodiment of the present invention the lever is operative to permit movement of the ratchet wheel in a second rotational direction.

In accordance with yet a further preferred embodiment of the present invention the at least one housing element includes two housing elements. Preferably, the two housing elements are held together by a plurality of fasteners, thus retaining the ratchet wheel and the lever between the two housing elements. Preferably, the wire engagement portion is fixed with respect to the ratchet wheel for rotation therewith about a rotation axis intersecting the fence wire receiving slot.

There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for assembling a fence, including positioning a wire twisting tool such that a fence wire extends through a fence wire receiving slot of the wire twisting tool, inserting an attachment wire to extend through a wire engagement portion formed on a ratchet wheel of the wire twisting tool, rotating the wire twisting tool in a first rotational direction about the fence wire, producing corresponding rotation of the ratchet wheel, the wire engagement portion and the attachment wire inserted therethrough, rotating the wire twisting tool in a second rotational direction, without producing rotation of the ratchet wheel and repeating the foregoing rotating in a first rotational direction and rotating in a second rotational direction steps, until desired winding of the attachment wire about the fence wire-is achieved.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fence wire extends transversely to the wire twisting tool. Preferably, the rotating the wire twisting tool in a first rotational direction includes counterclockwise motion. Typically and preferably, the rotating the wire-twisting tool in a first rotational direction results in twisting the attachment wire about one-quarter turn.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention rotating the wire twisting tool in a second rotational direction includes clockwise motion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified exploded view pictorial illustration of a wire twisting tool constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified assembled view pictorial illustration of the wire twisting tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a simplified assembled view edge illustration of the wire twisting tool of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional illustration taken along the lines IV-IV in FIG. 3; and,

FIGS. 5A-5E are illustrations of typical stages in twisting a wire using the tool of FIGS. 1-4, in the assembly of a fence.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1-4, which illustrate a wire twisting tool 100, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The wire twisting tool, as seen particularly well in FIG. 1, preferably comprises a pair of identical housing elements 102, each of which includes a handle portion 104, a neck portion 106 having an inner facing recess 108 and a ratchet wheel retaining, forward portion 110, including a generally circular ratchet wheel engaging protrusion 112.

A ratchet wheel 114 is disposed between housing elements 102 and includes a toothed edge 116 and generally circular side positioning protrusions 118, which is seated within corresponding engaging protrusions 112 formed on housing elements 102. The ratchet wheel 114 has a fence wire receiving slot 120 formed therein which extends to a fence wire receiving location 121 at the center of the ratchet wheel 114.

Formed onto one of the circular side positioning protrusions 118 is an attachment wire engagement portion 122, which defines an opening 124 for slidably receiving and engaging a fence attachment wire to be twisted about a fence wire.

A tooth engaging ratchet lever 130 is pivotably mounted onto a pivotable mounting pin 132, which is supported by housing elements 102. Tooth engaging ratchet lever 130 is formed with a tooth engaging forward surface 136, which is urged into tooth engagement by a spring 134, which is located within recesses 1.08 and biases lever 130 about pivotable mounting pin 132 in a direction indicated by an arrow 138 indicated in FIG. 4. It is appreciated that engagement of tooth engaging ratchet lever 130 with toothed edge 116 prevents rotational movement of the ratchet wheel 114 in a first rotational direction, such as in a clockwise direction, in the sense of the drawings, as indicated by an arrow 140, but permits rotational movement of the ratchet wheel 114 in a second rotational direction, such as in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by an arrow 142.

The entire assembly described hereinabove is preferably held together by a plurality of fasteners 144, such as screws or rivets, which join the housing elements 102, thus retaining the remaining elements therebetween.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 5A-5E, which are illustrations of four typical stages in twisting a wire using the tool of FIGS. 1-4, in the assembly of a fence. As seen in FIG. 5A, the wire twisting tool is positioned such that a fence wire 500 extends transversely thereto at the fence wire receiving location 121. An attachment wire 502, which is sought to be twisted about the fence wire 500, extends through opening 124 of attachment wire engagement portion 122.

As seen in FIG. 5B, the user rotates the tool 100 in a first rotational direction, for example downwardly, about fence wire 500, thus twisting attachment wire 502 about one-quarter turn. This counterclockwise motion produces corresponding rotation of the ratchet wheel 114, which is locked against clockwise movement relative to housing elements 102.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5C, the user rotates the tool 100 in a second rotational direction, for example upwardly, back to its position in FIG. 5A, but this upward movement does not produce corresponding rotation of the ratchet wheel 114, relative to housing elements 102, since such motion is not restricted by engagement of lever 130 with the ratchet wheel.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5D, the user rotates the tool 100 in the first rotational direction about fence wire 500, thus twisting attachment wire 502 a further one-quarter turn. This counterclockwise motion produces corresponding rotation of the ratchet wheel 114, which is locked against clockwise movement relative to housing elements 102.

This series of movements continues until the attachment wire 502 is fully wound about fence wire 500, as seen in FIG. 5E.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art. 

1. A wire twisting tool comprising: at least one housing element; a ratchet wheel including a toothed edge and a fence wire receiving slot, seated within said at least one housing element; a wire engagement portion, fixed with respect to said ratchet wheel, for rotation together therewith, operative to slidably receive and engage a fence attachment wire; and a lever which is pivotably mounted onto said at least one housing element and which is operative to engage said ratchet wheel and prevent movement thereof in a first rotational direction.
 2. A wire twisting tool according to claim 1, and wherein said at least one housing element also comprises a handle portion.
 3. A wire twisting tool according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one housing element comprises at least one retaining portion, wherein said ratchet wheel is seated within said at least one retaining portion.
 4. A wire twisting tool according to claim 3, and wherein said at least one retaining portion also comprises at least one generally circular protrusion, and said ratchet wheel includes at least one generally circular positioning protrusion, such that said generally circular positioning protrusion is seated within said at least one generally circular protrusion of said at least one retaining portion.
 5. A wire twisting tool according to claim 1 and wherein said fence wire receiving slot extends to a fence wire receiving location which is generally at the center of said ratchet wheel.
 6. A wire twisting tool according to claim 1 and wherein said lever comprises a tooth engaging surface which is operative to engage said toothed edge of said ratchet wheel.
 7. A wire twisting tool according to claim 6, and wherein said tooth engaging surface is urged by a spring into engagement with said toothed edge of said ratchet wheel.
 8. A wire twisting tool according to claim 7 and wherein said spring biases said lever.
 9. A wire twisting tool according to claim 1 and wherein said lever is operative to permit movement of said ratchet wheel in a second rotational direction.
 10. A wire twisting tool according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one housing element comprises two housing elements.
 11. A wire twisting tool according to claim 10, and wherein said two housing elements are held together by a plurality of fasteners, thus retaining said ratchet wheel and said lever between said two housing elements.
 12. A wire twisting tool according to claim 1 and wherein said wire engagement portion is fixed with respect to said ratchet wheel for rotation therewith about a rotation axis intersecting said fence wire receiving slot.
 13. A method for assembling a fence, comprising: positioning a wire twisting tool such that a fence wire extends through a fence wire receiving slot of said wire twisting tool; inserting an attachment wire to extend through a wire engagement portion formed on a ratchet wheel of said wire twisting tool; rotating said wire twisting tool in a first rotational direction about said fence wire, producing corresponding rotation of said ratchet wheel, the wire engagement portion and the attachment wire inserted therethrough; rotating said wire twisting tool in a second rotational direction, without producing rotation of the ratchet wheel; and repeating the foregoing rotating in a first rotational direction and rotating in a second rotational direction steps, until desired winding of the attachment wire about said fence wire is achieved.
 14. A method for assembling a fence according to claim 13, and wherein said fence wire extends transversely to said wire twisting tool.
 15. A method for assembling a fence according to claim 13, and wherein said rotating said wire twisting tool in a first rotational direction comprises counterclockwise motion.
 16. A method for assembling a fence according to claim 13 and wherein said rotating said wire twisting tool in a first rotational direction results in twisting said attachment wire about one-quarter turn.
 17. A method for assembling a fence according to claim 13, and wherein said rotating said wire twisting tool in a second rotational direction comprises clockwise motion. 